The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide nearly $38 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve state emergency preparedness plans and ensure quick recovery and restoration from energy supply disruptions, DOE said. Funds will be used by state governments to hire or retrain staff and expand state-level capacities to address challenges to the country’s energy systems, including emergency situations such as blackouts, hurricanes, ice storms and disruptions to heating supplies. Each state will be required to track energy emergencies to assess the restoration and recovery times of any supply disruptions; to train personnel on energy infrastructure and supply systems; and conduct and participate in state and regional energy emergency exercises to evaluate the effectiveness of their energy assurance plans. The awards will also help states address cyber security concerns and prepare for the challenges of integrating smart grid technologies and renewable energy sources into the transmission network.

©Copyright 2009Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.